Happy Fri-yay! This week saw the release of two new curly-barred bikes: the Lauf Úthald and an updated Merida Silex.
The Úthald is Lauf's first 'true' road bike (the Anywhere was a rigid version of the True Grit, and could perhaps be described as road-adjacent, or all-road…).
We've already seen the Merida Silex perform particularly well at a rather important gravel race that took place recently.
In other news and views, BikeRadar deputy editor Jack Luke was absolutely frothing with excitement when we published our guide to tandems, while we all learnt plenty about Oscar Huckle's journey into the world of bib shorts testing.
On Thursday, we brought news of the new Orbea Laufey hardtail, some new DT Swiss eMTB hubs and Fox's Crossframe Pro helmet.
Most importantly, we investigated the rise in fires caused by electric bicycle batteries.
When it came to reviews, as ever, we published plenty. There was some go-fast kit from Pirelli and Bont, as well as grippy rubber from Halo and bright lights from Oxford (the brand, not the town).
With that rapid rundown of the past seven days complete, let's get on to this week's selection of titillating tech.
Crankbrothers Synthesis Carbon Gravel wheels
Over the years, we've liked Crankbrothers' Synthesis wheels on our mountain bike test rigs. They've proved comfortable and reliable, and the brand was among the first to offer broad rim beds for modern wide mountain bike tyres.
Crankbrothers' gravel wheels offer up similar performance, with a carbon rim that's 26.5mm wide internally, designed for tyres as wide as 55mm.
Crankbrothers says, though, that the wheels are optimised for rubber that's 40-48mm wide.
The rims have reinforcement around the spoke nipples and feature a pleasingly deep central well, which should help when fitting tight, tricky tyres.
28 Sapim D-Light spokes hold the rims onto Crankbrothers' own hubs, the rear of which has a relatively tight 10-degree engagement angle.
The brand will offer the wheels in both 700c and 650b sizes, so riders of all persuasions will be able to find a set of hoops that suits them.
My test wheels come in at 718g for the front and 823g for the rear (taped, with valves), which adds up to 1,541g for the pair. That's not light, but not heavyweight either.
- Front: £550 / $599.99 / €599.99
- Rear: £850 / $899.99 / €899.99
Thule RoundTrip duffel bag
I am a bag man.
There, I've admitted it – my therapist will be proud.
I really like bags – roll-along bags, duffel bags, massive black-hole holdalls, smart city-slicker day bags, rucksacks and bum bags (fanny packs for our American cousins). I could almost fill a room with them (and I could certainly pack most of my house into my collection).
So when I spied Thule's new 55-litre RoundTrip duffel, I knew I had to try it out, test it to its technical limits and put it through its packing paces.
It is, on the face of it, a nice duffel bag – one with a comfortable shoulder strap, well-planned side pockets and a couple of extra storage spaces for helmets, shoes and dirty kit.
All the features I'd expect from a bag costing three figures are present.
So what excited me so much? The internal organisational baffles, of course!
The main compartment has been segmented off into individual cells. This is designed to help you organise a day or two's kit without resorting to either stuffing it into one all-consuming hell-hole, or having to pre-pack each type of item into its own little bag to keep everything organised.
The cells are of varying size, while there's even a soft-lined, reinforced cell for your sunnies.
You can see why I'm excited, right?
- £110 / $159.95 / €129.95
Gore Paclite Jacket and Endure Pants
It's definitely that time of year when all the BikeRadar team start frantically digging out waterproof kit ready for winter.
This set from Gore is destined to be rallied around the woods and stuffed in packs as I start my annual Trail Bike of the Year testing journey.
Both jacket and pants use the Gore-Tex Paclite Plus material, which has a 2.5-layer construction and is designed to be light and packable, while also offering plenty of waterproofing and windproofing.
Though lightweight, the jacket has enough features to ensure it's usable and useful.
At the back, there's a large pocket, secured by a waterproof zip, while there's a chest pocket too – sadly just too small for my (large) phone.
The arms get an elasticated wrist opening, further adjustable with a Velcro tab, while there's an adjustable, elasticated hem.
The zip has an underflap and garage for comfort, and the rear of the jacket drops low to ward off spray.
The trousers are high-waisted, with a soft, stretchy waist hem, tightened at the front with a drawcord.
There's a generous ankle zip to help get the trousers on and off, while poppers help tailor the fit around your lower leg.
Deep pockets on the thigh are big enough for my (large) phone, thankfully!
The fit around the thigh is generous, meaning they should fit over your everyday trousers – ideal for the wet-weather commuter.
- Jacket: £199.99 / $200 / €199.95
- Trousers: £199.99 / $200 / €199.95
Endura MT500 D3O Protector Vest
It's hard to deny that mountain biking is getting more and more technical, with everyday trail riders pushing their limits more and more.
It's also fair to say that as time progresses, more of us are taking protection seriously. In my group of riding pals, most now wear at least back protection on even moderate trail-riding days – it's so comfy, why not?
Endura's MT500-level protection is designed for trail, enduro and DH use. The brand has worked with its sponsored riders – the Athertons and Danny MacAskill – to help get it right.
The front and rear feature D3O panels – a non-Newtonian material that hardens on impact but otherwise remains flexible.
These are rated to Level 1 protection, which is as much as you get from mountain bike protection.
Surrounding the D3O panels are additional foam pads, to add yet more protection.
Fit is aided by Velcro tabs on either side of the torso.
The item is at the heavier end of the body-protection scale, however the main pads are vented, and mesh is used where applicable to boost air flow.
- £129.99 / $179.99 / €149.99
